


Enveloped In Darkness

by Rubymoon_Snape



Series: Blind Keith [19]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ableism, Blind Keith (Voltron), Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Keith (Voltron) was Raised by the Blade of Marmora, M/M, Mama Red Lion, Revelations, antolivan, thulaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23770063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubymoon_Snape/pseuds/Rubymoon_Snape
Summary: The Paladins and Alteans learn that Keith is blind when a mission goes awry for the Paladins.
Relationships: Keith & Red Lion (Voltron), Keith & The Blade of Marmora, Keith & Voltron Paladins
Series: Blind Keith [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1313075
Comments: 8
Kudos: 282





	Enveloped In Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Author Note: This was suggested by both RangerHorseTug and KitCat1995. This part starts after Keith becomes a Paladin and is close to the rest of the team (and Allura and Coran).

"Enveloped In Darkness"

Keith sighed. The team hadn't realized he was blind. Sometimes, the team were really oblivious, and other times, Keith had feared he had given himself away. He wasn't afraid of the Paladins learning he was blind, but he just didn't want to answer all those questions they were bound to ask. Humans were curious beings by nature, and Team Voltron was no exception. He didn't know about the Princess and her advisor. However, they were bound to know if the rest of the team found out.

Keith should have realized his luck was bound to run out. However, it was fortunate that he couldn't see on this latest mission. The Galra had apparently been experimenting with light explosives and had devised a way to protect themselves from the light. The Paladins, however, were not so lucky.

Lance, Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge couldn't tell one shape from the next and huddled together watching one of the shapes fight against the others. Wait! It had a sword. Galra sentries didn't use swords. The only one with a sword was Keith, but he had been caught in the explosion alongside them. How could he still see?

Keith didn't have any issues dispatching the sentries. He was used to both his bayard and his Marmora blade, easily using both in combat. His fathers had made sure of that. Sheathing his bayard, he made his way to the Paladins as he could hear them breathing. They were huddled in a little group off to one side. He sighed. It was going to be a trick to get them into the right lion. A purr in the back of his mind reminded Keith that there was a pair of eyes he could use. Keith smiled as he approached the group of Paladins.

"Guys, it's Keith. I'm going to help you guys get to your lions, so I need you to extend your arm when I call your name."

"How can you see?" That sounded like Lance.

Keith sighed again. "I never _could_ see. I'm blind." The Red Paladin could hear the difference in their breathing after he said that. "I will answer your questions once we're back on the ship. I don't want to be on this Galra ship any longer than necessary. So, Hunk?"

Keith could hear the shift in the armor and was able to grasp the extended arm. He tugged the Yellow Paladin to his feet and then opened his mind to connect to Red. He couldn't actually see, but it let Red direct him to the other lions. Once he and Hunk approached Yellow, the lion knelt down, and Keith helped Hunk into the cockpit.

He did the same for Lance, Pidge, and Shiro, respectively, and got back into Red, who purred to her Paladin. "Thanks, Red, but now, they know I can't see."

Red purred some more, reminding Keith of his Dads. "They shouldn't fault you for being blind. You were this way when they met you, when _I_ met you."

Keith purred back to his lion. "Let's go home, Red."

Once the lions were back in their hangars, Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance were taken to the infirmary, where Coran looked them over and declared that their sight would return within a couple of varga. They could still make out shapes, so they were able to make it to the lounge, where they saw a shape sitting on the couch. Shiro sat down next to the shape. "Keith, is that you?"

"Yes, Shiro. You're sitting next to me." Keith took a deep breath and realized the two Alteans weren't there. "Wait. Where are Allura and Coran? I don't want to explain things more than once."

"They said they were going to the bridge," Shiro answered. "I can go get them."

"No, Shiro. I have navigated through the castle blind, and you haven't, so I won't get lost." Keith patted Shiro's leg before he got up and left the room. It was easy for Keith to navigate the halls of the castle ship. There were subtle sounds of the engines that he could hear with his enhanced hearing. He also purposely walked with heavy footfalls that way the sound would echo in the halls and he can determine where he was in relation to the walls and adjoining corridors. His sensitive sense of smell allowed him to determine where he was. The different rooms had subtle scents that no one else seemed to notice. The kitchen always smelled of food and the occasional spice Hunk found, the training room always had a lingering scent of sweat, the lounge always had a relaxed aura which smelled like vanilla, the bridge smelled like juniberries, which was the scent Keith was following.

Keith had made it to the bridge without incident and called out, "Allura? Coran?"

"Keith? Are you all right? The other Paladins were caught in the light explosion and I already saw them, but you didn't let me check how much damage you sustained." Coran's voice was coming closer.

Keith jerked back. "The light explosion didn't affect me. I was diagnosed blind by Ulaz when I was three. I can answer your questions if you come to the lounge, where the other Paladins are."

"Blind? How is that possible? You fly a lion. You coudn't pilot if you can't see," Allura insisted.

Keith could feel a headache coming. "Please come to the lounge, and I'll answer all of your questions."

"Of course, we'll come, Number Four," Coran agreed.

Keith let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He let a smile appear on his face, despite being worried about Allura's attitude. He knew first hand that some people were albeists. Some of the Blades were; not many, but a few were. He beat them in hand-to-hand combat and proved that he could do anything they could. He knew his fathers and the rest of his pack had been ready to come to his defense but was glad they let him handle it himself.

While he led them to the lounge, Keith could hear Coran and Allura whispering behind him.

"How can he pilot if he can't see?"

"We will get the answers once we get to the lounge." Coran watched in awe as Keith navigated the halls as if he could see. It amazed him how the Red Paladin didn't bump into walls or knock things over. In fact, he didn't act blind. He just didn't look at people in the face, which he should have realized that was a sign that something was off.

Fortunately for Keith, it didn't take long to reach the lounge. Keith sat down next to Shiro. "Okay. I brought Allura and Coran back with me."

"Since we still can't see, can you and Coran say where you are sitting?" Shiro requested.

"Of course, Shiro. I am sitting next to you," Allura said.

"And I am sitting between Lance and Hunk," Coran stated.

"Since we are all present, Keith has a story to tell us," Shiro mentioned.

Keith sighed. "All right. Let me tell the story, and if there are any questions, I will answer them after."

"Before you start, since none of us Paladins can see, how do we determine who should ask questions?" Hunk asked.

"We should start with Allura and Coran and then go in order of height for us Paladins," Shiro suggested.

"Hey! Why do I have to go last?" Pidge questioned.

"Because you more than likely have more questions than the rest of us," Lance replied.

"Can I start now? I'd rather get this over and done with." Keith paused to see if anyone was going to say anything before he continued, "I was born with poor sight, according to Papa. He is the one who diagnosed me when I was three at Daddy's request. My mother, who was a Blade, was killed by a scouting party from the Empire, but before she died, she sent out an _SOS_ on a Blade channel. My father was able to hide me until I was rescued by Thace, who raised me alongside his mate, Ulaz. I consider them my Daddy and Papa. Daddy realized my eyes looked dull, so he asked Papa to test me. Once I was diagnosed as blind, Daddy and Papa along with Antok and Kolivan trained me to not be hindered without my sight. I have enhanced hearing and a heightened sense of smell. I use these senses to move around and locate things. The Blades taught and trained me well. I am not a liability on the battlefield and can work as part of the team. The Red Lion has accepted me as I am, and she was the first one outside of my family to know I am blind."

There was a pause to make sure Keith was finished with his explanation before the questions started.

"How can you fly if you're blind?" Allura asked.

"In general or piloting Red?" Keith wanted clarification.

"Both."

"Well, I learned the differences in tones and the patterns for different systems, and the brightness of certain celestial objects helps as well. Red is more helpful when it comes to flying with her. She won't let me crash into something if she can help it."

"What happened to your father?"Coran inquired.

"He died from his wounds, not too long after Thace answered my mother's distress signal, which was only detected by other Blades."

"Your mother was a member of the Blade of Marmora?" Shiro asked.

"Yes. Her blade is the same one I carry and wield." Keith subconsciously reached back and gripped the hilt of his blade before placing his hand back in his lap.

"You mean the knife you always have on hand?" Hunk questioned.

"Yes. Its dormant form is a knife, but its activated form is a sword. Here, I can show you." Keith stood up and took a couple of sniffs to determine where Hunk was exactly. Finding the nervous Paladin directly across from him, Keith walked over and knelt down in front of him. He patted Hunk's knee. "I'm right in front of you, Hunk." He unsheathed his knife and willed it into its short sword form. He grabbed one of Hunk's hands and gently moved it across the center of the blade so as to not cut his hand.

"It's amazing." Hunk sounded a little breathless.

"What's going on?" Pidge asked.

"I let Hunk feel my blade, since he can't see it right now," Keith explained calmly.

"Can we all feel it?" Shiro asked.

Keith shrugged. "Sure. Whoever wants to, say your names, so we all know, and I will come to each of you."

"Shiro."

"Lance."

"Pidge."

"Coran."

Allura let out an exasperated breath. "I guess I will too."

"Okay. Coran is the closest, so I will start with him, then go around the couches, ending with Shiro." Keith let each person inspect his blade, never once letting go. He could hear the awe in everyone's breathing, except Allura's. The princess seemed to treat him differently as she had when they first realized he had Galra blood. It took her several quintants to stop hating him. Now, it seemed like she was back to hating him for something that was once again out of his control.

Once Shiro had finished his inspection of Keith's blade, and it had been safely stowed back in its sheath, Shiro mentioned, "Let's get back to the questions. I think it was Lance's turn."

"Which Blade is Daddy, and which one is Papa?" Lance asked, after thinking for a moment.

"Thace is Daddy, and Ulaz is Papa."

"What kind of training did they put you through?" Pidge questioned.

"All kinds. They trained me to detect the differences in breathing and in the hum of technology, how to determine if something was sabotaged or tampered with, what the different scents mean, and how to use my blade on the battlefield. Also, if the enemy learns I am blind, I can use that to my advantage." Keith gave a dark chuckle. "There were a few Blades that were a little biased against me, that didn't think I could be a capable fighter, but I proved them wrong by beating them in hand-to-hand combat."

"How big were those Blades?" Allura inquired.

Keith tilted his head. The princess's tone could be described as hesitant. "Um, the biggest one was between Kolivan and Antok in terms of height but was as agile as Ulaz. The rest were between Thace and Kolivan."

"Oh."

Keith didn't understand what the princess was thinking. "Allura, are you okay?"

"What? I-Yes, I'm okay. Just..."

"Just what?"

"Would you put any of _us_ through a trial of combat?"

Keith's eyes widened, and he looked directly at Allura. It unnerved her slightly to have those hazy purple eyes pointed in her direction. She could see why Keith never looked anyone directly in the face. It wasn't that he was shy or socially awkward; he was trying to make sure whoever was around him didn't feel uncomfortable. She had once again judged him unfairly and almost condemned him for something he couldn't control.

_"No!_ Of course not! You're like a family to me. I don't want to damage the level of trust you have in me."

Shiro cautiously slid his arm around Keith's shoulders and tugged him closer. "We consider you family, too, Keith."

The other Paladins moved over to where Keith and Shiro were with minimal clumsiness. They wrapped their arms around Keith, effectively burying him in the group hug. "We love you, Galra Keith."

"Yeah. You're another brother to me," Pidge said.

"We love everything about you, even your mullet."

Keith relaxed in his friends...no, his family's embrace, his purr drawing in the two Alteans, who joined in the group hug. Keith was glad his found family didn't hate him; in fact, they loved him.

Fin


End file.
